1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a component integration apparatus and method for collaboration of a heterogeneous robot, and more particularly, to a component integration apparatus and method for collaboration of heterogeneous robot which enables a robot to be externally controlled and enables a component of a robot to access an external component in order for collaboration of heterogeneous robots operating on the basis of different component models.
2. Description of the Related Art
In general, it is a recent trend for robot platforms having various actuators and sensors to use component-based application programming models in order to controlling and integrating the individual actuators and sensors. In other words, component-based application programming models define individual component specifications with respect to controls of the individual unit devices of robots (for example, wheel control, head control, touch censor control, distance sensor control, position sensor control, etc), and robot apparatus developers implement and provide robot apparatuses based on corresponding specifications.
However, such component-based application programming models have the following limits in distribution robot applications in which heterogeneous robots cooperate.
First, since it is difficult to standardize component models used in robot platforms because of practical reasons and so on, heterogeneous robots have different component models, which make it difficult and complicated to make distribution robot applications.
Second, if standard component models which all robot platforms use in common are defined in spite of various practical reasons, it is possible to solve the first problem. However, there is a problem that such an approach does not still solve. In order to perform a robot application, not only integration of components operating inside a robot but also integration with an external legacy system or various devices in a circumstance or others are inevitable. For example, in order to provide news or weather information, integration with a corresponding information system is necessary, and in order to control a TV set or a gas valve, integration with a home network is necessary. Consequently, components outside robots still have different models.